Solving Michigan’s ‘petcoke’ problem

Solving Michigan’s ‘petcoke’ problem

Petroleum coke, or “petcoke,” is a substance created by the tar sand oil refining process, and many are concerned about its effect on the environment. Congressman Gary Peters, D-MI., joins to discuss the issue.

We heard from Mark Holden, Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Koch Industries. He expressed a concern that in an interview on April 25th, U.S. Representative Gary Peters’ assertion that Koch owns petcoke stored along the Detroit River “was unclear and could confuse viewers.” Although we believe that Rep. Peters was not referring to present day when talking about the ownership of petcoke piles in Detroit, rather he appeared to be referencing a point in time when he took on this cause in the past, it is possible some viewers were left with the wrong impression.

With that, we’d like to note that Mr. Holden maintains Koch Industries does not currently own any petcoke stored anywhere in Michigan.

We hope this clears up any confusion brought on by Representative Gary Peters’ words.